An ageing society 'in 13 years'

"This will change the face of Thai society, because working people will have to work harder to look after the young and the elderly," said Pramote Prasatkul of Mahidol University.

Some 11 million people are over 60, he told a seminar on the future of teenagers and the elderly.

They are likely to live 20-23 years longer on average, thanks to improved living standards and better healthcare, he says.

But only 800,000 babies are born a year, he notes, as the government's population control policy takes hold, coupled with the growing disinclination of young adults to get married and have children.

"Greying" will drastically change the structure of society, Pramote warns, and there is little planning to cope with such a future.